Dark clouds scuttled over the skyline on Thursday evening, and cold breezes whipped up off the water, but the food on the Hotel Del Coronado’s Sun Deck hadn’t gotten the memo.
There, everything was sunny and bright. The menu sparkled with the warm flavors of summer, from the fresca pisco cooler at the beginning to the dulce de leche-stuffed churro at the end.
The Del has previously only featured this Mexican-inspired menu in the summertime, but it was so popular that the Sun Deck will now be offering it year round. “We want to give distinction between our different outlets,” Marketing and Communications Manager Gina Petrone explained. The standard lunch fare of burgers and fries will still be available at other restaurants at The Del. Now, though, the Sun Deck will feature burgers with a “south of the border” twist — as well as guacamole, ceviche, and tacos. The creator of the menu, Chef Richie, stands at the helm of the kitchen.
Along with the traditional offerings of wine and beer, the Sun Deck drink menu now includes a wide variety of margaritas. The Jalapeño and Pineapple Margarita tops the menu with tequila and pineapple juice — and slender slices of fresh jalapeño floating among the ice cubes. The drink goes down sweetly but leaves a spicy warmth behind. Other new drinks are the Bandido (vodka with fresh cilantro, jalapeño, and cucumber) and the Mescal Nigroi (mescal, camparl, orange juice, sweet vermouth).
Los Tres Amigos (Guacamole Trio) is a stand-out on the menu with its bold and creative flavors. The trio includes a bowl of each of Sun Deck’s specialty guacs: Classic, Sweet & Tangy, and Crab. The Sweet & Tangy is a perfect combination of grilled pineapple chunks and fresh basil strips on a bed of thick-cut avocado, tomato, and onion. All are served with homemade fire-roasted tortilla chips. Watch yourself, though — it’s easy to fill up on the guacamole and leave room for nothing else.
Chef Richie’s two ceviches are both a dose of summer in a glass. The Ceviche Verde is rock shrimp in a house mojo sauce with garlic, shallots, and cumin, and the Ceviche Rojo includes bay scallops and white fish with lemon, tomato, green onion, “and a dash of sriracha because I love sriracha!” Chef Richie laughs.
With three large tacos per plate, the taco side of the menu is perfect for a hungry diner. The Surf & Turf Taco Trio includes one beer-battered Pacific cod, one orange-marinated chicken, and one smoked brisket taco. The brisket melts in the mouth after being marinated for 12 hours with a mocha chili and coffee rub. All tacos are topped with vegetable slaw, guajillo crema, and queso fresco before being wrapped in a corn tortilla and a twist of brown paper.
Chef Richie presented his Poblano Burger with a smile of pride. Here is a truly Mexican twist on an American classic, with pepperjack cheese, a poblano chili, and braised onion aoili. “We make everything in house that we can,” he said as he set the platter down. “We’re putting a lot of love and attention into our food. And besides” — he gestured to the Pacific Ocean right below us — “we have the best view in America, I think!”
The single dessert on the menu is a universal crowd-pleaser: a “bolsa” (purse) of round churro rolled in cinnamon and cane sugar and filled with dulce de leche cream. Diners raised their hands for seconds, whereas those who were already full took the churro home for later in its little white paper bag.
The Sun Deck is also kid-friendly. “We can do all the tacos without the slaw or the cheese,” Chef Richie said, “We can do a quesadilla or a plain burger with or without cheese, and we have our fries.” Children aren’t the only little guests welcome on the Sun Deck, though. Dogs are invited to join their owners for Yappy Hour every Sunday from 4-5pm.
The Sun Deck Bar & Restaurant is open every day for lunch from 11:30-5pm and for cocktails from 11:30am to sunset. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the restaurant is open for dinner until 9pm. Further details and full menu available here.
Come enjoy a taste of summer on the Sun Deck at The Del! It’s a Coronado gem with an unparalleled view and one delicious mouthful of a menu.
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Becca Garber
Staff Writer
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